Lacing-machine.



A. M. ALEXANDER.

LA'GING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1909.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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A. M. ALEXANDER.

LAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1909.

Patented June 25, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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COLUMBIA PLA A. M. ALEXANDER.

LACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.7,1909.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANUOHAPM C0,,WASHXNGTON, n. C.

A. M. ALEXANDER.

LACING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.7, 1909.

Patented June 25, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

\ULUMBIA l-LANuou/um c0 \msuma-roN. n. c.

' A. M. ALEXANDER.

v LACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.7,1909.

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' Patented June 25, 1912.

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LAGING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED SEPT.7,1909.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

A. M. ALEXANDER.

meme MAUHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1909. 1,030,559, Patented June 25, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

WM. I%I///////////////A //////////////Al umunmmum 2 LUMMMWEFI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE- ALEXANDER M. ALEXANDER, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LACING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 7, 1909.

Patented June 25, 1912. Serial No. 516,551.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. ALEX- ANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Laoing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to machines for lacing together the eyeleted quarters of shoe uppers preparatory to placing them on the last for the lasting and other subsequent operations.

The invention is intended primarily as an improvement on the shoe upper lacing machine shown and described in application No. 296,388, filed January 16, 1906 which has matured into Patent No. 962,105, June 21, 1910. The broader features of the in vention, however, are not limited in their application to this form of machine, but may be embodied in other forms of machines, and the specific construction and arrangement of the various parts may be varied or modified as found desirable or best suited to the form of machine in which the invention is embodied. The machine shown and described in said application comprises a plurality of looper needles equal in number to the pairs of eyelet holes which it is desired to lace, a plurality of looper fingers cooperating with the needlesto form a series of loops in the lacing cord and retain the loops in position until the shoe upper is placed on the needles, a shuttle or cord feeding needle acting to place the cord in position to be engaged by the looper needles and looper fingers and to thereafter pass a portion of the cord through the loops.

after they have been inserted in the eyelet holes of the upper, a. work adjuster for positioning the work on the needles, cord clamping grippers to hold the ends of the lacing, a thread arm or finger arranged adjacent to the cord clamping grippers and operating to draw thread from the thread supply previous to the formation of the loops and to give up said thread during the formation of the loops, means for severing the lacing from the cord supply, and knottying mechanism acting to tie the ends of the lacing together.

It is the objectof the present invention to improve and simplify the construction and arrangement of the various parts of a lacing machine of the above character so that it will operate to lace a shoe upper in a more reliable and satisfactory manner than the shoe upper lacing machines as heretofore constructed.

In the operation of the machine shown in the above application the lacing cord is fed to the looper needles'by the shuttle needle, and then as the loops are formed by the relative movement of the needles and looper fingers the carrier for the looper needles is moved downward to bring the needles into position to receive the upper. After the upper has been placed upon the needles by the operator, the needle carrier is moved upward to bring the loops carried by the needles into position for the passage of the shuttle needle through the loops. It has been found that in operating upon the uppers for heavy shoes the looper needles are not always brought into proper position by the upward movement of the carrier, owing to the springing or yielding of the mechanism for raising the needle carrier.

One feature of the invention accordingly contemplates the provision in a machine provided with looper needles and means for passing the locking cord through the loops carried by the needles, of means for locking and rigidly supporting the needle carrier in position for the passage of the locking cord through the loops carried by the looper needles. In embodying this feature of the invention in the construction disclosed in the application above referred to, it is preferred to lock the needle carrier in its raised position by means of a locking lever, the lower end of which underlies a cam surface on the actuating lever through which the needle carrier is raised, since this construction of locking mechanism may be readily and conveniently applied to said machine Without reorganization or reconstruction of the parts.

It has also been found, in operating upon the heavier classes of work, that owing to the stiffness and shape of the upper the looper needles are liable to be bent or sprung out of their normal position when they are inserted in the eyelet holes of the upper, or when the carrier is moved upward to bring the loops into posit-ion for the passage of the shuttle needle, so that the loops are not brought into proper position for the passage of the shuttle needle.

A further feature of the invention accordingly contemplates the provision of means for bringing the needles into alinement with each other and into a proper alinement with the shuttle needle or other means for passing the locking cord through the loops carried'by the looper needles. In its preferred form this means comprises needle positioning plates or similar devices arranged to pass above and below the free ends of the needles and to accurately position them with relation to the path of the shuttle needle or other locking cord carrier.

In embodying these features of the invention in the machine of the application above referred to it is preferred, for the sake of simplicity, to so construct the work adjuster that it will act as the needle alining and positioning device as well as a means for properly positioning the work upon the looper needles.

Further features of the invention contemplate the provision of an improved con struction and arrangement of the device for drawin oif slack thread on the supply side of the loop forming devices; the provision of an improved construction and arrangement of work adjuster, whereby the work is properly positioned upon the looper needles without exertion on the part of the operator; and the provision of an improved and simplified construction of the devices for varying the lengths of the loops drawn by the looper fingers.

The invention also contemplates the provision of an improved construction and ar rangement of thread arm and finger for drawing slack thread from the thread supply between the loop forming devices and the grippers for holding the ends of the lacing cord, whereby the thread arm does not interfere with the upward movement of the upper as the looper needles are moved into position for the passage of the locking cord through the loops carried by the needles. In accordance with this feature of the invention the thread arm is so arranged and operated that it does not overlie the upper when it is in position upon the needles. The space back of the support for the grippers and knotting mechanism may therefore be free and unobstructed, so that when the needle carrier moves upward to bring the loops carried by the needles into position to receive the locking thread, the edges of the upper which extend from the looping clevices back of the knotting mechanism and grippers may move up into this space without engaging any obstruction which would tend to force the upper down and put strain upon the needles.

The invention also contemplates the provision of novel and improved mechanism for operating the grippers which hold the ends of the lacing, whereby the springs through which these grippers are operated to yieldingly grip the ends of the lacing may be readily and conveniently adjusted; the provision of novel and improved knot tying mechanism; and the provision of an improved construction and arrangement of grippers for gripping the ends of the lacing and of the means for severing the lacing from the cord supply.

The various features of the invention above refered to, as well as certain further features relating more or less to the preferred form and arrangement of devices employed in embodying the broader features of the invention in a machine of the character shown and described in the application above referred to, will'be understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the various features of the invention in their preferred form, the parts being shown in the position which they occupy when the loops have been 7 vation; Fig. 5 is a detail view showing cer' tain parts shown in Fig. t in a different position; Fig. 6 is a partial front elevation on a larger scale, certain parts at the front of the machine being broken away for the sake of clearness; and certain parts being shown in section; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the needle carrier and looper finger carrying slide; Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through the needle carrier and loo-per finger slide; Fig. 9 is a detail view showing the carrier for the cord feeding or shuttle needle and the slack thread device; Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the slack thread device; Figs. 11 to 15 are detail views of the knot tying mechanism; Fig. 16 is a detail sectional View on line 1616, Fig. 6; and Figs. 17 and 18 are detail views of the yielding connections through which the grippers are operated.

The looper needles 1, of which there are four in the machine shown, are mounted in a carrier 2, and the cooperating looper fingers 3 are mounted in a slide a which is mounted in guideways on the carrier. The needle carrier is raised and lowered to shift the needles from the position where the cord is presented to them by the shuttle needle, into the position where the upper is applied to the needles, and from the latter position up into position where the shuttle needle passes the cord through the loops carried by the looper needles by an actuating lever 5. One arm of the lever is connected with the carrier by an adjustable link 6, and the other arm of the lever carries a roll 7 which engages a cam carried by the cam shaft 8 of the machine. The rear end of the carrier is pivotally supported upon an arm 10 which is pivoted upon a rod 11 and is rocked to give the carrier its forward and return movements by a cam acting on a roll 12 carried by the arm. In order that the needle carrier may be locked and rigidly supported when moved up into position where the shuttle needle passes the locking cord through the loop carried by the looper needles, the lever 5 is provided with a laterally projecting rib 13, the lower face of which forms a locking cam surface. This cam rib is arranged to be engaged by a roll 1a mounted upon the lower end of a locking lever 15, the upper end of which is pivotally supported upon a rod 16 arranged above the cam 13. The locking lever is actuated through a link 17 connecting the lever with the arm of the lever 5 which carries the roll 7. \Vith this construction, when the actuating lever 5 is rocked to raise the needle carrier, the locking lever 15 is swung toward the left in Fig. 3 so that the roll 14 moves under the cam surface 13 and forces the needle carrier firmly into its upper position. The action of the roll 14; upon the cam surface 13 not only insures the upward movement of the needle carrier into the same fixed position at each operation of the machine, but also looks and firmly supports the needle carrier in this position so that the position of the needle carrier is unaffected by the strains incident to the use of the machine in lacing heavy uppers.

The looper needles are secured in spin dles 18 which are mounted in blocks 19, and the blocks are in turn mounted in guideways formed in the front of the carrier, so that they may be adjusted to vary the spacing of the needles in the usual manner. The looper fingers 3 are carried in blocks 20 which are mounted in transverse guideways formed in the plate 4, and these blocks are connected with the needle carrying blocks so that the looper fingers are adjusted simultaneously with the needles, as is usual in this type of machine. The needle carrying spindles are rocked at proper intervals to bring the hooks of the needles into position to receive the lacing cord and to thereafter turn the needles into position to hold the loops so that the cord arranged to be engaged by lugs 27 formed on the ends of a bar 28 which is secured to the slide 4-. When the slide is advanced to bring the looper fingers in front of the hooks in the looper needles, the lugs riding on the cam surfaces 26 rock the bell crank levers to depress the bar 23 and thus turn the needles into position to receive the lacing cord. \Vhen the slide is retracted in forming the loops in the lacing cord carried by the needles, the lugs riding on the cam surfaces 26 raise the bar 23, thus turning the needles so that the loops are held by the needles in position for the passage of the shuttle needle through the loops.

The slide a is advanced and retracted at the proper times by means of an actuating lever 29 which carries a roll 30 engaging a cam on the cam shaft. The upper end of the lever is connected with the slide lthrough a link 31. In order that the movement imparted to the slide for the looper fingers may be varied to vary the length of loops formed by the fingers and looper needles, provision is made for securing more or less lost motion between the slide and the actuating lever. In the construction shown, the forward end of the link 31 is connected with the slide 4 by a pin and slot connection, and means is provided for varying the length of the slot so that there is more or less lost motion between the link and slide. As shown, the slot 32 is formed in the end of the link 31, and is engaged by a pin 33 held in lugs 3 1 on the slide, the link being arranged to pass between the lugs. The front end of the slot is formed by a block 35 mounted for movement toward and from the rear end of the slot. This block is connected by a link 36 with the lower end of a lever 37 which mounted upon the end of the link 31. The lever carries a spring pressed pin. 38 which may be engaged with any one of'a series of holes formed in an annular flange 39 on the end of the link 31. WVith this construction, the length of the slot 32 may be quickly and conveniently adjusted to vary the movement imparted to the slide through its actuating cam and lever. The slide will be advanced by engagement of the pin 33 with the rear end of the slot 32, and the looper fingers will therefore be advanced to the same position in discharging the upper from the needles, whatever the length of loop being drawn. The extent to which the slide is retracted, and therefore the length of loops drawn, will depend upon the adjustment of the block 35, the block being adjusted to secure the greatest amount of lost motion between the link 31 and slide when drawing the shortest length of loops, and being adjusted so that there is little or no lost motion between the link and slide when drawing the longest length of loops.

The cord feeding or shuttle needle 40 is secured in the arm 41 of a needle carrying slide 42 which is mounted to slide in guideways 43. The slide is reciprocated by means of a cam 44 which engages a roll on the rear end of a lever 45, the front end of which is provided with a gear segment 46. The gear segment engages a pinion 47 which is connected with a gear 48 arranged to engage a rack 49 on the rear side of the needle carrying slide.

IVhen the needles are in position to receive the upper, the cord passes from the left-hand looper finger across the edge of the guard plate 50 and through the eye of the needle. In order that the amount of slack thread in the lacing may be increased if desired beyond the amount produced by the adjustment of the looper fingers, a slack thread device is provided for engaging the cord between the left hand looper and-the eye of the shuttle needle. In the construction shown, this slack thread device consists of a thread finger 51 which is pivotally mounted upon the guard plate 50 so that it may swing in a plane substantially parallel to the shuttle needle. The thread finger is held in its retracted position inclicated in Fig. 6 by a coiled spring 52 (Fig. 10). The upper end of the thread finger carries a roll 53 arranged in the path of a plate 54 which is secured to the needle carrying slide 49.. The plate 54 is so arranged that during the advance movement of the needle carrying slide it will engage the roll 53 and thus rock the thread finger 51 to engage and draw off or retain a loop of thread in the lacing cord. In order that the amount of slack thread drawn off by the thread finger may be conveniently varied as found desirable, the roll 53 is adjustably mounted upon the thread finger 51. As shown, the roll is carried on an arm 55 pivoted to a disk 56 which is mounted upon the stud 57 which carries the thread finger. The rear side of the arm 55 is provided with a lug 58 which may be engaged with any one of an annular series of slots 59 formed on the upper end of the thread fin ger. By means of this construction, the roll 53 may be adjusted so that the plate 54 will pass over the roll without imparting any movement to the threaed finger 51. In this case the thread finger will operate to retain a loop of thread in the lacing cord as the shuttle needle advances to pass the cord through the loops held by the looper needles. In case additional slack thread is desired, the roll may be adjusted toward the left in Fig. 6 so that the plate 54 will engage and move the roll, thus swinging the lower end of the thread finger toward the left to draw off additional slack thread from the thread supply during the advance movement of the shuttle needle. In case it is desired to throw the thread finger out of operation, this may be conveniently done by swinging the finger into the position indicated in Fig. 1 and engaging a latch 60 with a notch 61 formed in the edge of the thread finger. When the finger is in this position, the lacing cord passes to the right of the finger so that the cord does not engage the finger when the needle advances to pass the cord through the loops held by the looper needles. After the upper has been placed on the needles, and the loops carried by the needles thus passed through the eyelet holes of the upper, the carrier for the looper needles and looper fingers is moved upward to bring the loops carried by the needles into line with the shuttle needle 40, so that the shuttle needle on its forward stroke will carry the cord through the loops on the needles. In order that the upper may be held in such position upon the needles that it will be out of the path of the shuttle needle during its advance stroke, a work adjuster which engages and positions the upper upon the needles is provided. In the construction shown, this work adjuster is also so constructed that it operates as a device for bringing all the needles into the same plane, in case any needle has been bent or sprung out of position, and also acts as a device for bringing the needles into proper. alinement wit-h the shuttle needle. As shown, the work adjuster comprises an arm 62 supported at its upper end upon a fixed pivot 63 and provided at its lower end with a rearwardly projecting plate 64 for engaging the upper. This work adjuster is moved toward the looper needles at proper intervals by a roll 65 which is carried by one of the cam disks and acts as a cam for engaging and operating an actuating lever 66. This adjuster is moved back when released by a spring 65. The upper end of the lever 66 is connected by a link 67 with an arm 68 which is secured to a rock shaft 69. The rock shaft carries a second arm 7 0 which is connected by means of a link 71 with the work adjuster 62. hen the needle carrier is moved upward after the upper has been applied to the looper needles, the work adjuster 62 is moved inward toward the upper, and as the needles reach their upper position the plate 64 passes under the free ends of the needles and acts to lift any needle which has been sprung down out of position up into the proper plane, and also acts to accu rately support the needles in proper alinement with the shuttle needle. The forward edge of the plate 64 may be beveled off to form a cam surface 72 for riding under and acting upon the under sides of the needles. The work adjuster is also provided with a second plate 73 arranged to pass above the free ends of the needles as it moves longii tudinally of the needles, and to bring any needle which has been bent up out of proper position down into the proper plane and into register with the shuttle needle. By these needle engaging plates the looper needles are accurately alined and held in position during the passage of the shuttle needle through the loops held bythe looper needles and fingers.

The grippers 74 and 75 for grasping the ends of the lacing cord are arranged at the right of the loop forming devices and cooperate with a gripper plate 76 in gripping the ends of the cord. The grippers are in the form of fingers, which project forward from the lower ends of two vertically sliding bars 77 and 78. The gripper 74: is arranged to cooperate with the sides of a slot 79 formed in the gripper plate to grip the free end of the lacing cord when the shuttle needle advances and presents the end of the cord between the gripper and gripping plate, preparatory to feeding the cord to the eyes of the looper needles. The gripper 75 cooperates with one side of a slot 80 in the gripping plate 76 to grip the lacing cord when the cord is presented in position between the gripper and plate by the advance of the shuttle needle in passing the locking cord through the loops held by the looper needles. The gripper 75 also cooperates with the other side of the slot 80 in the gripper plate to sever the cord after the shuttle needle has been partially retracted. In order that the gripper 75 may thus act as a combined gripper and cord severingdevice, the gripping side of the slot 80 is extended up higher than the side of the slotwhich cooperates with the gripper in severing the cord, as indicated in Fig. 6. In the operation of the gripper 75, the gripper is first moved downward until the cord is gripped between the righthand side of the gripper and the corresponding side of the slot 80, and then the downward movement is arrested untilthe shuttle needle has partially completed its return stroke. The first part of the return movement of the shuttle needle draws the cord over the gripping finger 75 so that it lies across the slot 80 and leads back over the finger 75 through the eye of the shuttle needle. After the needle has moved back a short-distance, the downward movement of the gripper 75 is completed, so that the right-hand edge of the gripper cooperates with the corresponding edge of the slot 80 to sever the cord. The slots 7% and 80 extend completely through the gripping plate 7 6, so that the accumulation of dirt or foreign matter be low the grippers, and the resulting danger of injury or breakage of the grippers, 1s avoided. In order that the gripper 75 may act e'tliciently in severing the cord without requiring accurate or repeated adjustment to compensate for wear, the right-hand side of the slot 80 is formed by a finger 81 project-ing from a vertically arranged plate 82. This plate is supported at the side of the gripper bar 78 and is forced firmly against the side of the bar by a spring 83. With this construction the finger 81 is maintained in position to efficiently cooperate with the edge of the cutter in severing the cord, and any wear of the parts tends to sharpen the cooperating cutting edges rather than to interfere with their efficient operation.

The grippers 74 and 75 are operated at proper intervals through levers 84 and 85, the front ends of which engage rests formed in the gripper bars, and the rear ends of which are provided with slots engaged-by two pins 86 mounted in the upper end of an actuating lever 87. The upper end of the lever 87 is bifurcated to form two upwardly extending arms 88, and the pins 86 project laterally from blocks 89 mounted in vertical slots formed in said arms. The blocks 89 are provided with flanges 90 for engaging opposite sides of the arms 88, and are sup ported upon springs 91. The springs underlie the blocks and hold them firmly against the heads of adjusting screws 92 which extend down through the blocks and springs, and are threaded in the lever 87 at the lower ends of the slots. In order to lock the adjusting screws against accidental displacement, the screws are provided with square heads which fit between the flanges 90. Through these yielding connections the cord grippers are forced yieldingly toward the gripping plate, so that they will act efliciently to grip the cord without requiring accurate adjustment either in assembling the machine or to compensate for wear. Any required adjustment may be conveniently made by forcing down the block 89 until it is free from the head of the adjusting screw, and then give the adjusting screw one or more quarter turns. The slots in the levers 84 and 85 are so shaped that the grippers 74 and 75 are raised simultaneously to release the ends of the lacing, so that both ends of the lacing are acted on uniformly by the jaws of the knot-ter. During the return stroke of the shuttle needle after ithas given the free end of the cord to the gripper 74 and is laying the cord in position to be engaged by the hooks of the looper needles, the cord between the gripper and the guide bar 98 is acted upon by a thread arm 9st which is provided at its forward end with a thread engaging finger or hook 95. This thread arm acts at this time to draw a loop of slack thread from the thread supply, and then during the backward movement of the looper fingers in forming the loops, moves forward to give up this slack thread, so that the thread for the loops is drawn from both sides of the H looper fingers and needles. This thread arm is also operated during the knot tying operation to draw the lacing cord against the looping post of the knot-ter and into position to be engaged by the jaws of the knotting mechanism. In order that a free space may be provided back of the knotting mechanism and cord grippers, the thread arm is so constructed and operated that it is withdrawn from above the upper during the upward movement of the looper needles in bringing the loops which have been passed through the eyelet holes of the upper into position for the passage of the shuttle needle. In the construct-ion shown, the thread arm is in the form of a rod mounted to slide through a block 96 and connected by a link 97 with the upper end of a lever 98, the lower end of which is arranged to engage a cam on the cam shaft of the machine. The lever is held in engagement with the cam by a spring 99. The block 96 is supported upon a pivot 100 arranged below the thread arm and upon an adjusting screw 101 which underlies the rear end of the block. The rear end of the thread arm is provided with a collar 102, and a short spiral spring 103 is mounted upon the rod in front ofv the collar.

The mode of operation of the thread arm is as follows: When the machine is at rest in position for the upper to be applied to the looper needles, the hook of the thread arm is in the position indicated in Figs. 4: and 6 where it is above and back of the cord which leads from the gripper 74 across the guide bar 93. When the machine is started, after the upper is applied to the looper needles, the thread arm is immediately withdrawn so that its end projects but slightly beyond the front end of the block 96. This leaves a free space between the front face of v the block 96 and the rear face of the bracket There is no strain or downward pressure,

therefore, put upon that part of the upper which projects to the right of the loop forming devices, which would'tend to spring the needles out of proper position. The thread arm remains in its retracted position until the shuttle needle has returned, after carrying the locking thread through the loops, and until the looper needle carrier is moving down and the upper is being cast off the needles by the advance movement of the looper fingers. During the casting off of the upper from the looper needles, the thread arm moves forward, and the hooked end passes over the lacing cord between the grippers and the knotting mechanism. As

the take-up reaches its forward position, the spring 103 engages the block 96, so that during the latter part of the forward move ment of the take-up the block 96 is rocked about its pivot, thus carrying thehooked end of the thread arm down into position to engage the lacing cords on the next rearward stroke of the thread arm. The thread arm remains in this forward position until the upper has been cast 01f of the looper needles and the knotting mechanism begins to operate. The thread arm then moves rearwardly to draw the lacing cords against the looping post of the knotter, and hold them in position to be engaged by the jaws of the knotter. During the final winding of the lacing cords around the looping post of the knotter, the thread arm moves forward somewhat to give up cord to the knotting mechanism. During the completion of the knot tying operation the thread arm moves into its rearward position. It remains in this position until the shuttle needle is advanced to give the free end of the lacing cord to the gripper 74. It is then advanced and its hooked end moved downward at the completion of its forward movement so that it engages the cord, and is then immediately retracted to draw slack thread at the right of the loop forming devices. During the forming of the loops the thread arm moves forward to give up this slack thread. During this forward movement of the thread arm it does not advance far enough for the spring 103 to act upon the block 96, and the front hooked end of the thread arm does not move downward. The cord therefore is cast off the end of the thread arm, and the thread arm then moves back slightly so as to be clear of the cord. This brings the parts into their original position. After the shuttle needle has passed the locking cord through the loops held by the looper needles, and the cord has been gripped and severed by the gripper 75, the two ends of the lacing cord extend side by side across the guide bar 93. The ends of the lacing are now in position to be acted upon by the knotting mechanism which operates to tie the ends of the lacing together. In the machine shown, the knotting mechanism is constructed to form a loop in the lacing cord, and to draw a bight of the cords through the loop, and then to tighten the knot thus formed. As shown in Figs. 6 and'll to 15, the knot-ting mechanism is provided with a looping post formed by the lower end of a spindle 104 which is mounted for vertical movement in a rotary sleeve 105. The spindle 104: is mounted to rotate with the sleeve,'while being free to move longitudinally therein, by a key 106 eXtending through the sleeve and through a slot in the spindle. The sleeve is rotated to impart the proper rotary movements to the looping post spindle through a pinion 107 formed on the upper end of the sleeve, and engaged by a gear segment 108. The gear segment is formed on the front end of a lever 109, the rear end of which is acted upon by a cam secured to the cam shaft of the machine. Longitudinal movements are imparted to the looping post spindle at proper intervals by means of a lever 110, the front end of which. is connected with the spindle, and the rear end of which is engaged by a cam secured to the cam sh aft of the machine. In order that the vertical position of the spindle 104 may be conveniently adjusted, the lever 110is formed in two sections, both of which are mounted upon the pivot 111, and these sections are connected by adjusting screws 112 and 113.- The lower end of the looping post 104 is provided with a slot 114, the lower surface of which forms one member of a cord gripping jaw. The cooperating cord gripping jaw is formed by the lower end 115 of a spring pressed plunger 116 mounted for vertical movement within the looping post spindle. The lower end of the spindle is also provided with a cord retaining latch 117 which extends through a slot formed in the spindle, and is supported by a pivot 118. The plunger 116 is recessed for the passage of the latch lever, and is provided with a shoulder 119 for engaging the upper side of the lever for a purpose to be described. The lower end of the sleeve 105 is provided with a semi-cylindrical extension 120 which partially surrounds the spindle, and is provided at its lower end with a downwardly extending casto1f finger 121. The knotter normally stands in the position indicated in Fig. 6. When the lacing cord has been inserted, and the ends of the cord are to be tied together, the spindle 104 is moved downward to carry the looping post and latch 117 on opposite sides of the ends of the lacing cord, and thus bring the lacing cord into position to overlie the end of the latch when the latch is closed against the looping post. After the lower end of the latch has passed below the lacing cord, the upper end of the latch lever engages a shoulder 122 on the sleeve 120, and the latch lever is swung about its pivot to bring the lower end of the latch against the looping post, as indicated in Fig. 13. After the knotter has moved into this position. the upper is forced ofi the looping needles and falls away from the needles so that it is supported from the ends of the lacing cords which pass over the latch 117 and are held by the grippers 74 and 7 5. The two strands of lacing cord extending from the latch to the upper now lie in front of a lateral extension 123 formed at the lower end of the guide bar 93. The 'front face of this extension 123 is grooved, and forms a fixed jaw against which the lacing is gripped by a clamp 124 during the knot tightening operation. The looping post is now rotated, and during this rotation the latch carries the cord around the post so that a loop is formed, the cords being drawn against the post by the thread arm, as heretofore described. As the looping post completes its rotation, the lacing cords pass into the slot 114, the thread arm moving forward to give up slack thread as the loop is formed about the post. During this rotation of the post in forming the loop in the lacing cord the plunger 116 is held in raised position against the tension of its spring by the engagement of a pin 125 at the upper end of the plunger with a shoulder 126 on the sleeve 120 (Fig. 12). After the loop has been thus formed, the spindle 104 is DIOVQCl upward. During the first part of this movement the pin 125 is carried away from the shoulder 120 so that the spring plunger moves down to grip the lacing cord. Continued upward movement of the spindle carries the loop on the post against the cast-off finger 121, and also brings a pin 127 on the latch lever against a cam rib 128 on the sleeve 120. The engagement of the pin 127 with the cam 128 moves the latch 117 away from the looping post, so that the loop on the post is free to be cast off by engagement with the cast-oil finger 121 during the continued upward movement of the looping post. As the upward movement of the post continues, the gripping jaws on the post act to draw a bight of the lacing cord through the loop cast off from the end of the looping post. At this time the lacing below the loop of the knot is gripped by the clamping lever 124 so that the knot is tightened by the upward movement of the looping post. As the looping post completes its upward movement, the pin 127 on the latch lever engages a shoulder 129 on the sleeve 120, so

that the lever is rocked to lift the gripper plunger 1.16 and thus release the ends of the lacing, as indicated in Fig. 11. The parts remain in this position until the knotting mechanism is to be again operated to perform the knot tying operation.

The clamping lever 124 in the construction shown is pivoted at 130, and 1s provided at its upper end wit-h apivot arm 131.

The rear end of this arm is provided with a roll 132 arranged to be engaged by a cam plate 133 which is secured to the upper side of the gear segment 108. When the lever 109 is rocked to rotate the looping post spindle, the front edge of the cam plate 133 acts against the roll 132 to force the lower end of the lever 124 against the lacing cord, and clamp the cord during the completion and tightening of the knot. After the knot has been tightened, the lever 109 is given a further forward movement, and this movement carries the cam plate beyond the roll 132, so that the clamping lever is released to allow the laced upper to drop. During the return movement of the lever 109, the lower end of the roll 132 rides up over the top of the cam plate 133, and then as the lever completes its return movement the roll rides off the cam, and the arm 131 drops down to bring the roll into position in front of the edge of the cam, preparatory to the next operation of the clamping lever.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which the invention may be embodied, what I claim is 1. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles arranged to pass a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, a carrier for the looper needles, actuating mechanism for moving the carrier from the position where the upper is applied to the needles into position for passing the locking cord through the loops, and devices for locking the carrier in the latter position, substantially as described.

2. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles arranged to pass a series of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, a carrier therefor, an actuating lever connected to raise and lower the carrier, a shuttle needle arranged to pass a locking cord through the loops when the carrier is raised, and a locking lever arranged to engage the actuating lever to rigidly support the needle carrier in its raised position, substantially as described.

3. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles arranged to pass a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, a carrier therefor, an actuating lever connected to raise and lower the carrier, a shuttle needle arranged to pass a locking cord through the loops when the carrier is raised, a cam surface on the actuating lever,

a locking lever, and means for forcing the locking lever under the cam surface as the carrier is raised, substantially as described.

4:. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, hav ing, in combination, a plurality of looper needles arranged to pass a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet-holes of an upper, a carrier therefor, an actuating lever for raising and lowering the carrier provided with a cam surface, a locking lever pivoted above the actuating lever and having a projection on its lower end for engaging said cam surface, and means for forcing said projection under the cam surface as the carrier is raised, substantially as described.

. 5. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, havin in combination, a plurality. of looper.

C needles, looper fingers cooperatlng therewith to form a series of loops of lacing cord, a shuttle needle for carrying the lacing cord through the loops, a reciprocating slide upon which the shuttle needle is carried, a thread finger pivotally supported to swing in a direction substantially parallel to the shuttle needle, and an actuating surface on the slide arranged to engage the upper end of the thread finger, substantially as described.

.7. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, looper fingers cooperating there with to form a series of loops of lacing cord, a shuttle needle for carrying the lacing cord through the loops, a reciprocating slide upon which the shuttle needle is carried, a pivoted thread finger arranged to engage the cord between the loop forming devices and shuttle needle and having its upper end arranged in the path of the-slide, substantially as described.

8. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, looper fingers cooperating therewith to form a series of loops of lacing cord, a shuttle needle for carrying the lacing cord through the loops, a reciprocating slide on which the shuttle needle is carried, a thread finger for drawing slack thread having an upper end adjustable into and out of the path of the slide, substantially as described.

9. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, hav ing, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, looper fingers cooperating therewith to form a series of loops of lacing cord, a shuttle needle for carrying the lacing cord through the loops, a'reciprocating slide upon which the shuttle needle is carried, a pivoted thread finger arranged to engage the cord between the loop forming devices and shuttle needle and having its upper end arranged in the path of the slide, and means for retaining said finger either in or out'of position to operate on the cord, substantially as described.

10. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper, needles, looper fingers cooperating therewith to form a series of' loops of lacing cord, a shuttle needle for carrying'the lacing cord through the loops, a reciprocating slide upon which the shuttle needle is carried, a

pivoted thread finger arranged to engage the cord between the loop forming devices and shuttle needle and having an upper end arranged in the path of the slide and adjustable to vary the length of loop drawn by the finger, substantially as described.

11. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, looper needles, a needle positioning device relatively movablelongitudinally of the needles to force the needles laterally into a predetermined position and means for operating the needle positioning device, substantially as described.

12. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a cord feeding needle, looper needles, a needle positioning device relatively movable longitudinally of the needles to force the looper needles into cooperative relation to the cord feeding needle and means for operating the needle positioning device, substantially as described.

13. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a cord feeding needle, looper needles, a work adjuster, means for moving the adjuster longitudinally of the needles to adjust the work there on, anddevices on the work adjuster for bringing the needles into co'tiperative relation with the cord feeding needle as it is moved longitudinally of the needles, substantially as described.

14. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a cord feeding needle, looper needles, and a work adjuster provided with a needle engaging plate for forcing the needles into a predetermined position as the adjuster is moved longitudinally of the needles, substantially as described.

15. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, looper needles, a work adjuster provided with needle positioning plates arranged to pass above and below the free ends of the needles, and means for actuating the adjuster to bring the needles into a predetermined position, substantially as described.

16. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination,-a cord feeding needle, looper needles, means for raising the looper needles into position to cooperate with the cord feeding needle, a work adjuster mounted to swing toward and away from the ends of the needles upon a fixed pivot above the looper needles, and mechanism for swinging the work adjuster toward the needles as they are moved into position to cooperate with the cord feeding needle, substantially as described.

17. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles arranged to pass a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, a shuttle needle for passing the looking cord through the loops, a work adjuster mounted to swing toward and away from the ends of the needles upon a fixed pivot above the looper needles, and a cam and connections for swinging the work adjuster toward. and from the looper needles, substantially as described.

18. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, a plurality of looper fingers, a carrier for the looper fingers, actuating mechanism for the carrier provided with a pin and slot connection, and means. for adjusting the length of the slot to vary the lost motion between the carrier and its actuating mechanism for different lengths of loops, substantially as described.

19. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, a plurality of cooperating looper fingers, a carrier for the looper fingers, actuating mechanism for the carrier comprising a link provided with a slot, a pin on the carrier engaging said slot, and an adjustable block forming the front end of the slot, substantially as described.

20. A machine for lacing. shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, a plurality of cooperating looper fingers, a carrier for the looper fingers, actuating mechanism for the carrier comprising a link provided with a slot, a pin on the carrier engaging said slot, a sliding block forming the front end of the slot, and. an adjusting lever pivoted on the end of the link and connected with the block, substantially as described.

21. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, grippers for holding the ends of the lacing cord comprising a plate having s'lots extending therethrough, and gripper fingers cooperating with the sides of the slots to grip the ends of the lacing means for actuating the gripper fingers, substantially as described.

22. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, a gripper to which the locking cord is delivered, a gripper plate provided with a gripping surface cooperating with one side of the gripper, and a cutting edge cooperating with the opposite side of the gripper, substantially as described.

23. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, :1. gripper to which the locking cord is delivered, a gripper plate provided with a surface 00- operating with one side of the gripper to grip the cord, and a plate held yieldingly against the opposite side of the gripper and provided with an edge cooperating with the edge of the gripper to sever the cord, substantially as described.

24. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, a combined gripper and cutter to which the looking cord is delivered, and mechanism for imparting a cord gripping movement to the gripper and for imparting a further movement thereto to sever the cord, substantially as described.

25. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, mechanism for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper including a cord feeding needle, a combined gripper and cutter to which the cord. is delivered by the needle, and mechanism for imparting a cord gripping movement to the gripper and for imparting further movement thereto to sever the cord after the needle has been partially retracted, substantially as described.

26. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passinga series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, grlppers arranged to grasp the ends of the lacing, and means for operating the grippers to clamp the lacing comprising yielding connections through which gripping movement is transmitted to the grippers and means for adjusting said connections, substantially as described.

27. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, mechanism for in serting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper including a cord feeding device, grippers for grasping the ends of the lacing, actuating devices for the grippers including springs through which gripping movements are imparted to the grippers, and means for varying the tension of the springs, substantially as described.

28. A machinefor lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, mechanism for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper including a cord feeding device, grippers for grasping the ends of the lacing, levers through which motion is imparted to the grippers, an actuating lever connected with said levers by yielding connections through which gripping movements are imparted to the grippers, substantially as described.

29. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, mechanism for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holesof an upper including a. feeding device, grippers for grasping the ends of the lacing,

levers connected with the grippers, an actuating lever connected with said levers by spring supported connections through which gripping movements are imparted to the grippers, and means for adjusting the resistance oifered by the yielding connections,

substantially as described.

30. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for holding the free end of the cord, a thread arm pro vided with a cord engaging hook, and mechanism for actuating the arm to engage the hook with the cord and to draw cord from the supply prior to the formation of the loop and to cast off the cord when the loops are formed, substantially as described.

31. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, means cooperating therewith to form a series of loops of lacing cord and retaining them in position to be passed by the needles through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for feeding the lacing cord to the needles, means for holding the free end of the cord, a thread arm provided with a cord engaging hook arranged to engage the cord between the needles and said holding means, and actuating mechanism for said thread arm operating to advance the thread arm and engage the hook with the cord to retract the thread arm prior to the formation of the loops and to advance the thread arm during the formation of the loops in the position where the cord is cast off from the hook, substantially as described.

32. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a needle carrier, a plurality of looper needles carried thereby, mechanism for raising and lowering the carrier, means cooperating with the needlesto form a series of loops in the lacing cord and retain the cord in position to be passed by the needles through the eyelet holes of an upper, a cord feeding needle, means for holding the ends of the lacing cord, a thread arm, mechanism for actuating the thread arm to engage the cord between said holding means and looper needlesand draw cord from the supply prior to the formation of the loops, to give up said cord during the formation of the loops and to withdraw the thread arm from above the upper when the looper needles are raised, substantially as described.

33. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a portion of the cord through said loops,

cord grippers arranged to grasp the ends of v the lacing, knot tylng mechanism arranged to act on the cord adjacent the cord grippers, a thread arm provided with a cord engaging hook, and mechanism for actuating again engage the hook with the cord and draw the cord into the jaws of the knot tying mechanism, substantially as described.

34. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a needle carrier, series of looper needles carried thereby, means cooperating therewith to form a series of loops in a lacing cord, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, mechanism for raising the carrier to bring the loops into position for the passage of the locking cord therethrough, a thread arm for drawing cord from the supply prior to the formation of the loops, and mechanism for withdrawing the thread arm from the path of the upper during the upward movement of the needle carrier, substantially as described.

35. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, means cooperating therewith to form a series of loops of lacing cord, means for holding the free end of the cord, and a thread arm for drawing cord from the supply prior to the formation of the loops comprising a rod provided at its forward end with a cord engaging hook and mechanlsm for advancing and retracting the rod and giving the hook a movement toward and from the cord, substantially as described.

36. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, a plurality of looper needles, means cooperating therewith to form a series of loops of lacing cord, means for holding the free end of the cord, a thread arm arranged to engage the cord be tween the needles and holding means comprising a rod provided with a cord engaging Hook at its forward end, a pivoted support through which said rod reciprocates, and means for rocking said support to engage the hook with the cord, substantially as described.

37. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for inserting lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper, grippers arranged to grasp the ends of the lacing, knot tying mechanism arranged to act on the lacing between the grippers and the uppers comprising a loo-ping post provided with a cord engaging surface forming the one jaw of a gripper, a plunger mounted in the post and cooperating with thesurface to grip the cord, means for rotating the looping post to form a loop of cord about the post, means for engaging the plunger with the cord at the completion of the rotary.

movement, means for raising the looping post to cast off the loop and draw a blght of cord through the loop, and means operated by the upward movement of the looping post for disengaging the plunger from the cord at the completion of the upward move ment of the post, substantially as described.

38. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper, grippers arranged to grasp the ends of the lacing, knot tying mechanism arranged to act on the lacing between the grippers and the uppers comprising a looping post, a latch mounted thereon for retaining the cord on the post, a cord engaging surface on the post forming a fixed jaw, a movable plunger provided with a gripping jaw mounted in the post, mechanism for rotating the post to form a loop of cord thereon and for raising the post to cast otl" the loop and draw a bight of cord through the loo-p, means for arresting the downward movement of the plunger with the looping post, means operated by the upward movement of the looping post for disengaging the plunger from the cord at the completion of said upward movement, and means for operating the latch to retain and release the cord, substantially as de scribed.

39. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper, grippers arranged to grasp the ends of the lacing, knot tying mechanism arranged to act on the lacing between the grippers and upper comprising a rotary and vertically movable looping post, a transverse slot in the lower end of the post, a spring pressed plunger mounted in the post and cooperating with said slot to grip the cord, means for raising the plunger as the looping post completes its downward movement and for releasing the plunger at the beginning of the upward movement for the looping post, and means for raising the plunger at the completion of the upward movement of the looping post, substantially as described.

40. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper,

grippers arranged to grasp the ends of the lacing, knot tying mechanism arranged to act on the lacing between the grippers and uppers comprising a spindle provided with a cylindrical looping post at its lower end, means for rotating and reciprocating the spindle, a cord retaining latch pivoted on the spindle, a transverse groove in the looping post forming one jaw of the cord gripper, a spring pressed plunger mounted in the spindle and arranged to cooperate with the groove in gripping the cord, means for holding the plunger out of engagement with the cord during the rotation of the spindle and for releasingthe plunger as the spindle is raised, means for operating the latch during the upward movement of the spindle to release the cord and to thereafter disengage the plunger from the cord, substantially as described.

41. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper, a knotter, a cord clamping lever for clamping the lacing during the tightening of the knot, a gear segment for rotating the knotter, and a cam on the gear segment for operating the clamping'lever, substantially as described.

42. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for passing a series of loops of lacing cord through the eyelet holes of an upper, means for passing a locking cord through said loops, grippers arranged to grasp the ends of the lacing, a knotter for tying the ends of the lacing together, and means for operating the grippers to simultaneously release the ends of the lacing as the knot is completed, substantially as described.

43. A machine for lacing shoe uppers, having, in combination, means for inserting a lacing cord in the eyelet holes of an upper, knot tying mechanism comprising a rotary and longitudinally movable looping post provided with a transverse slot in its lower end, a plunger mounted in the post and co operating with the slot to grip a cord, means for retracting the plunger as the looping post completes its forward movement and for releasing the plunger at the beginning of the rearward movement of the looping post,

and means for retracting the plunger at the completion of the rearward movement of the ger out of engagement wit-h the cord during the rotation of the spindle and for releasing the plunger as the spindle is retracted, and means for operating the latch during theretracting movement of the spindle to release the cord and to thereafter disengage the plunger from the cord, substantially as described.

ALEXANDER M. ALEXANDER. lVitnesses ALFRED H. HILDRETI-I, N. D. MOPHAIL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). c. 

